Friday

Teddy Bear Pancakes

Want to get your kids more involved in cooking? Then make it fun! Jazz up breakfast a little bit by turning plain pancakes into Teddy Bear pancakes.

Chef in training.

You can use any pancake recipe you'd like for the batter, but I'll give you one below. Basically, all you do is use a spoon to make shapes with the pancake batter in the pan--pretty simple. After the kids make a few teddy bears, they will likely want to try out other shapes--we ended up making a flower, a guy with a hat, and a "Big Foot."

1. Combine dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a large bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the butter, egg, and milk.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.

4. Grease a skillet with a bit of butter by melting it over medium heat.

5. Once the skillet is hot, use a table spoon to pour pancake batter into a teddy bear shape--a spoonful for the belly, about a half for the head, and a bit for the ears, arms, and legs. Make sure you keep your shape somewhat compact--very long legs or arms will make the pancake difficult to flip. You can make eyes and other features with chocolate chips or other small candies if you'd like.

6. Cook the pancake until bubbles form on the top, then flip and cook the opposite side a minute or two more.

7. As you finish each pancake, place it in a warm oven until you are ready to eat.

We had a lot of fun making these cute pancakes, and an even better time eating them. We hope your family enjoys it as much as ours did.

When Ethan was talking about cooking, he said, "Keep practicing and never give up." Good advice.